


Cabin inspection wars

by Fl_utterby



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: A lot actually, Competition, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Original Character(s), Rivalry, Will is a cheater, Will's a little OOC here, cabin inspections, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:26:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27509062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fl_utterby/pseuds/Fl_utterby
Summary: Cabin inspections in Camp half blood over the years, and the developing relationship between two Head Counselors.Or basically,Will: All's fair in love and warNico: Shut up Will!!
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 159





	Cabin inspection wars

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for the story came to me from a Riordan wiki page that describes Cabin inspection as-
> 
> "They come around to each of the cabins every afternoon and one with the papyrus scroll inspection checklist. They inspect the cabins and make sure they are neat and clean. The best cabin gets first shower privileges and the worst cabin gets kitchen patrol after dinner, tidying up somewhere around camp, or have to clean the Pegasus Stables."

The first time Nico learns about the cabin inspections is at his first Head Counselor meeting. It happens early September after the campers have left for their homes and it's just the year-round campers.   
  
He still doesn't understand the logic behind needing a Head Counselor for a cabin with a single person in it, but plays along anyway. " _Participation is the key, Nico_ ," Jason's advice is still fresh on his mind, and while it was unasked for, that's probably what he needs right now. To participate. Maybe it'll give him something to do around the camp.   
  
Will, on the other hand, is more than enthused enough for the both of them.   
  
"Just you wait, you'll love being a Head Counselor, even if it's just you in your cabin. All the perks and practically no sibling responsibilities. That's like, the dream." Will's dreamy, faraway look makes Nico doubt if he actually loves his siblings.   
  
Chiron starts off the meeting by reading aloud the list of duties and responsibilities of a Head Counselor. The eager and slightly uncertain looks of some of the campers makes Nico realize that he's not the only unexperienced one. It's a relieving thought, if not particularly happy.   
  
For the following week, Nico is given the responsibility of cabin inspection among other things. He's assigned on the duty every alternate Sundays, and he notices that Will has been assigned on alternate Tuesdays.   
  
"So I just, go from cabin to cabin, and what? Judge them?" he asks Will once the meeting is over. He doesn't remember having his cabin inspected when he'd lived for few short weeks following the Titan war.   
  
"Pretty much," Will answers, "You give them numbers out of 5 based on how well they are maintained and cleanliness factors. It's quite fun."   
  
Nico isn't convinced.   
  
"It's not so bad, really." Will must have sensed Nico's apprehension, "You'll get used to it. Hey, how about we partner for Cabin inspections and you help me sort through Chiron's papers? We'll have company, at least."   
  
While Will's offer is tempting, it makes Nico even more skeptical. _Why would anyone actively seek his company?_ But, he'd rather do it with Will than alone, so he agrees.   
  
_Participation is the key, Nico._ Jason is going to be proud, at least.   
  


* * *

  
The first time Nico does Cabin inspection, it turns out more fun than expected.   
  
It's not hard, considering he hadn't expected any fun at all. Will comes along as promised and guides him through the process.   
  
"Hey, you can't give them five out of five. Look at the floor, I bet they cleaned the whole cabin five minutes before we arrived." Will points at the grease stained floor of Hephaestus cabin with slight distaste.   
  
"At least it's an improvement from Hermes cabin," Nico mutters, remembering how they had been scrambling to clean up bits and pieces of rubbish from their beds.   
  
"Oh, don't worry about them. They actually like kitchen patrols after dinner, so sometimes they do it on purpose. Cecil once told me about the patrols helping them restock their kitchen supplies or something."   
  
By the end of the inspection, Nico has gotten the hang of it. With a 4 out of 5 to Iris cabin _(Still too generous, Death boy!),_ they return together to submit the papyrus scroll at the Big House.   
  
"Alright Solace, thanks for your help. I'll be in the training area if you need something," Nico turns to leave but Will doesn't let him get far.   
  
"What about helping me sort through Chiron's papers?" Will asks. Right. He'd forgotten about that.   
  
"Wouldn't you rather do it alone?"   
  
"Wouldn't I rather bore myself to death by doing it alone? No you idiot, I'd rather like your company," Will says like it's the most obvious thing.   
  
_It's so easy for people like Will_ , he thinks. Easy to make friends, be comfortable around the place and not have to second guess everything. The fact would have made the past Nico slightly envious, but now he hopes he can someday have that too.   
  
"Come on Nico, how else am I supposed to be friends with you?" Will gives him a smile that he hopes is genuine.   
  
_Friend_ is still a foreign word to him. He still hasn't gotten used to anyone actually wanting to be his friend, but it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either.   
  


* * *

  
  
Nico liked to believe Will as a good person, he really did. Despite his obvious misgivings (annoying, persistent, blindingly cheerful, stupid smile, etc. etc.), Will was supposed to be a thoughtful, fair person underneath. He still wants to believe that, no matter how much the evidence points the other way.   
  
But the cabin inspections bring out the worst in Will Solace and it's getting harder and harder to believe there's anything good in him.   
  
Will, Nico has realized, abuses his position as a head counselor and head of the infirmary way too much. He's never seen Will give more than a 4 to any cabin, and even 4 is a rare occurrence.   
  
Nico had brushed it off as Will being too particular at first. But then he'd seen Will give a 3 out of 5 to Athena cabin just because the wall paint clashed with some of the bedsheets. And the other time, he'd knocked points off the Hecate cabin as a revenge for Lou playing a prank on him some days before.   
  
He's noticed the other thing as well, that Apollo cabin is always an exception to this rule. The cabin never gets less than 4 when it's Will doing the inspection even when the cabin is at its worst.   
  
"I've got more than a dozen siblings, di Angelo. You try and get them to clean the Pegasus Stables or manage the armoury," Will says when Nico finally decides to confront him. "Honestly it's like herding a flock of sheep. We don't need additional chores in our hands."   
  
"Nobody _needs_ additional chores, idiot. And you've got only two other people in your cabin year round, you don't get to make that excuse now."   
  
"Well then, we've got too little number of Apollo campers, which makes it difficult to be in the infirmary all the time _and_ get punishments.   
  
"That's not the point," Nico mutters to himself but he knows Will has a point. Even if there are no injured campers in the infirmary, someone always has to be there in case of emergencies.   
  
But surely there are other ways like talking to Chiron or asking for volunteers or actually keeping the cabin clean. Or practically anything other than abusing his position.  
  
"You know what, you get a 2 out of 5 today, because I don't like your attitude right now," Will huffs. He scribbles over the 4/5 that he had written beside Hades cabin and— with with the pencil in his hand— replaces the 4 with a 2.   
  
"Take that back Solace!" Nico doesn't care if he's almost shouting. He'll challenge Will into a duel if he has to.   
  
"Go clean the Pegasus stables, di Angelo," Will's smirk makes him want to hit something (preferably a certain blond with too much brightness in his eyes).   
  
Whoever had mentioned holding grudges as the fatal flaw of Hades children was apparently right. Internally, Nico vows to get revenge for today and not stop until he's satisfied.   
  
"Just you wait until it's my turn, Solace. You'll wish you hadn't done that." Will sticks his tongue out— real mature— and smirks, like he can't believe Nico would do anything in return.   
  
_Well, if that's how he wants to play._  
  
The next time it's Nico's turn for cabin inspection, Apollo cabin gets Stable cleaning duty because he didn't like the colour of their bookshelf.   
  
("It's generic wooden texture and colour di Angelo! There's nothing to _like._ "  
  
"Shut up Solace, _I'm_ the one doing the cabin inspection.")   
  
And that's what instigates the war. 

* * *

  
"You lying, cheating piece of filth!" Nico busts open the infirmary door and walks straight to where Will is. It's probably not a good idea since Will is busy patching Shreman up and performing his glowy-hymn-thingy. Will had once told him it required a lot of concentration, which is definitely broken now since his hands have stopped glowing.   
  
Both Sherman and Will turn to him at the same time. Sherman's expression is a little annoyed— no idea whether it's directed at him or his healer— and Will's is annoyingly smug. _That bastard.  
_  
He follows Will to the room once Sherman is patched up and discharged, and doesn't waste another second to confront the aforementioned lying, cheating piece of filth.   
  
"You bribed Malcom, didn't you?"   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Will gives him the most innocent look he can muster.   
  
"I spent three hours cleaning my damn cabin, there wasn't a speck of dirt visible, everything was in place, and I still got stable duties. Your bed on the other hand," Nico jabs a finger at Will's chest, "had books and charts lying all over, and your cabin didn't get any chores."   
  
"Come on now death boy," Will says in his most condescending Southern accent ever, "Don't be a sore loser. I'm sure you'll do better tomorrow." Will then raises his right hand, brings it upto Nico's head, and pets it like he's calming down an irritated pet.   
  
Nico has never been so tempted to drag someone through the fields of punishment as in this moment. 

* * *

  
The ' _cabin inspection wars_ ' as they have unanimously dubbed, continue for the whole year. And the year after that. And the year after. Over the years, they've gotten creative in their war. Once, Nico had gone as far as clearing out all the items in his cabin and daring Will to find a single speck of dirt. Will had reluctantly given him a 4.5 (he never gives out 5 to anyone for some reason) and retaliated by hiding all Nico's clothes the next week.   
  
Nico is pretty sure all the year round campers know of their ongoing war, but no one speaks a word against them. It's probably because it's always either Nico or the Apollo cabin that ends up getting the least points and most number of chores.   
  
The Apollo cabin however, looks at him like they'd like nothing more than plan an elaborate murder and hide his body in the dump. He can't blame them though, they are mere victims, stuck between his tug-of-war with Will. But even they have their limits.   
  
"Alright, I've had enough," Kayla practically yells at them once she's had enough, "di Angelo if you don't stop this, so help me gods I'll personally convert you into a chew toy and give you to your pet hellhound."   
  
He's always liked Kayla, she's creative with her insults and threats. But now's not the time to acknowledge that.   
  
"He started it!" Nico points a finger at Will and yells with equal vigour, "I don't see you threaten your brother!"  
  
"I'm warning you Will, you either find a better way to flirt with your boyfriend, or I swear to God I'll burn every single star wars merch you own." Kayla storms off to the archery range, probably to blow off the steam and frustration. Nico feels bad for the practice dummies, and also feels lucky he's not one of them. _Yet_.   
  
"I'm not— He's not my— Kayla!" Will calls out to her but she's already gone.   
  
He partly wants to murder Kayla for putting them in an awkward situation, but also wants to thank her because the deep blush on Will's cheeks and neck is worth everything.   
  
But it works in both their favour this time, because the next time it's Will's turn for the inspection, he says something that Nico's been waiting so long to hear. 

* * *

  
"Let's do a little different this time. If you win, I'll do your chores for the whole week. If I win," Will's voice goes from confident to nervous to non-existent in a matter of seconds. When Nico wordlessly encourages him to speak, Will does, albeit in a whisper. "If I win the bet, you go on a date with me."   
  
Whatever Nico was expecting, it isn't that. He's somewhat aware of the blond's feelings for him for quite a while now; it's impossible not to be with all the loud whispers from their loud-mouthed friends and all the rumors flying around.   
  
In any case, Will isn't the only one to blame. Nico returns Will's inside jokes with his secret smiles. Over the years he's become fairly fluent in returning Will's pickup lines with equally cheesy lines and engages in what could be, _might be_ referred to as flirting. So it's not a shock when Will asks him out.   
  
Still, it does nothing to slow down his rapidly beating heart and the skeletal butterflies in his stomach.   
  
"Ask for something else Solace," Nico says as soon as he finds his voice and confidence, "I'll go on a date with you anyway, even if you lose. Even _when_ you lose."   
  
Nico pretends not to acknowledge the flutter in his heart when Will grins like an idiot he is.   
  


* * *

  
Dating Will Solace is nothing like Nico expected to be. They have been friends for years and it's safe to say that he knows a lot, if not everything about Will. To be honest, he hadn't expected any major changes— they would be like friends who had requited feelings for each other and went on official dates and kissed a lot.   
  
Of course, when he actually starts dating Will, a lot of things change.   
  
_Friend_ Will is a lot different from _Boyfriend_ Will, but Nico's not complaining. _Boyfriend_ Will is clingier and more upfront about his feelings, while _Friend_ Will was always a little hesitant. And while _Friend_ Will never put up with his shit, _Boyfriend_ Will is easily swayed by a few kisses and just the right words _(It's not called manipulating, shut up Will!)._  
  
Nico is still amazed at the new things he learns about Will everyday, and every little detail makes him fall in love with the guy even more.   
  
Of course, none of the above things apply in their cabin inspection wars.   
  
The absolute worst thing he does to Nico happens four months into dating and he's not sure he can ever forgive Will for that.   
  
The past years Nico has spent in the camp have seen many new faces. The Apollo cabin has welcomed seven new siblings in the past years, including a year-round camper.   
  
Nina, a seven year old daughter of Apollo is the light (quite literally) and joy of the Apollo cabin. Nobody is immune to her smile and the general sunshiney-ness, and the way no one can ever say no to her makes Nico wonder if she's got charmspeak powers.   
  
Nina has managed to charm Nico as well. He'd never admit it, but he knows she's got him wrapped around her tiny fingers.   
  
_Question. Should Nico feel guilty that Nina has replaced Will as his favourite Apollo child?_   
  
Anyway, Nina is like a sister to Nico and he would do anything for her, a fact Will _(that bastard)_ takes advantage of.   
  
The Apollo cabin is especially unmanaged today. The beds are made rather poorly and there's rubbish at all the corners. All in all, it's a poor attempt at cleaning and overall a sloppy job.   
  
"You're making it too easy for me, Solace." Nico puts down a 2 on the inspection list, and waits for Will's smile to turn into a frown. Which it doesn't.   
  
Instead, he hears a small voice from inside the cabin asking how many points they got. The voice belongs to Nina. Nico's about to answer but Will beats him to it.   
  
"We got a 2 out of 5 sweetie, Nico here said that the cleaning job was all bad," Will manages to say it with a straight face.   
  
Nina looks like she's about to cry. "But— but I cleaned the cabin myself today." _Damnit_.   
  
Well, that explains the look of triumph on Will's face. Nico would have dubbed that look as _'extremely kissable'_ if he weren't so angry right now.   
  
"Did I do a bad job?" Nina's whisper of a question is directed at Nico this time. He does not have a heart to tell the honest answer. He's torn between breaking a kid's heart and letting Will claim victory.   
  
When Nina pouts for effect, he knows what he has to do. "No, sunshine. You did a great job with the cleaning. In fact, you get a 5 out of 5," he hastily erases the 2 and replaces it with a 5. "Now stop being sad, yeah?"   
  
"This isn't over, Solace," he whispers so only Will can hear him, but Will's grin doesn't fade. _We'll see about that, darlin_ ' is so evident on Will's face.   
  
Man, the cabin inspections really do bring out the worst in his boyfriend. 

* * *

  
The cabin inspection wars practically end a few weeks after the Nina incident. Nico emerges a winner when he comes up with an idea that's guaranteed to work like a charm everytime.   
  
One particular day when it's Will's turn to do the inspections, Nico stands in front of his cabin feeling too confident. When Will sees the state of the room, his grin becomes ten times wider.   
  
"You're making it too easy for me, darlin'," Will mirrors Nico's statement a few weeks ago, "There's crumbs all over the bed, the floor's full of rubbish. I didn't want to do it, but I'll have to give you a 2." Will looks smug as always.   
  
But Nico knows how to handle Will now. All he has to do is say the right words.   
  
"I guess, if my cabin is so unmanaged, I won't have my boyfriend over to make out on my bed full of food crumbs. Or better yet, I won't invite him in my dirty cabin anymore."   
  
Nico is impressed at how fast the 2 changes into 5.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> I think Will's too OOC here, at the same time I think he'd totally pull this off :D  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story. Kudos and comments are much appreciated. 💙💙


End file.
